The Role of the Church

People go to church for a variety of reasons. The local church meets a variety of needs. Different churches focus on the different needs of their congregrations. But, what is the correct focus? Is there just one answer? What is the role of the local church?

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1.To serve Christ however the calls us. 2. To bind together local Christians in a body of believers such that they can encourage and educate each other in the Word. 3. To care for fellow Christians both spiritually and physically. 4. To pool resources for both the above AND carry on the Lord’s commission of preaching the Word in the fields and streets of their home town and missions wherever needed.

So what is the Gospel (Greek-Good message or well message in the Linear) that you would spread? You have the Gospel of the Kingdom Mat 4:23, 9:35, 24:14 “This Gospel” Mat. 26:13 Gospel of the Kingdom of God Mark.1:14 Gospel among all nations Mark 13:10 Gospel throughout the world Mark 14:9 The Gospel to every Creature Mark 16:15 The Gospel of the Grace of God Acts 20:24 The Gospel of God Rom.1:1 & 2 Cor.11:7 & I Th. 2:2 & I Th. 2:9 I Tim. 1:11 The Gospel of Christ Rom 1:16 2 & Cor. 2:12 & Gal 1:7 You have Paul’s Gospel Rom 2:16 & 16:25 & Gal 1:11 & 2 Tim. 2:8 “The Gospel” I Cor. 15:1 “Our Gospel” 2 Cor. 4:3 & I Th. 1:5 “Another Gospel” Gal 11:16 Gospel of the uncircumcision Gal 2:7 Gospel of Salvation Eph 1:13 Fellowship in the Gospel Php. 1:5 Everlasting Gospel in Rev 14:6 This question I have posed is in good nature in order to stimulate spiritual conversation and satisfy curiosity and I am not picking on you. I have witness many different versions of the Gospel told by Christians and men of the cloth alike which I know for a fact entails much more than Christ was born poor, a carpenter by trade, died for our sins, man killed him by beating him and hanging Him on a tree which is a rough outline of the life of Jesus. To address the question on this post “The Role of the Church” with the comment “But, what is the correct focus”? That truth be taught from the scriptures Luke 4:4,Luk 24:27, 2Tim. 3:15 and not preached with man made doctrines Mat 15:9, Mark 7:7, I Tim.4:1, Heb 13:9 by shunning the wisdom of the world 1Co 3:19, 1Co 1:21, and revealing the truth of of the Gospel brought by Christ 1Jn 5:6, 1Jn 3:18, Jas 1:18 , Tit. 1:14 2Ti 2:15. Fellowship with the fatherless, the widow and the stranger Jas 1:27, Exo 22:22, Deu 10:18. And once and for all squelch the internal political power plays that run rampant in the churches. In other words I am waiting for the second coming.

If we are the body of Christ, if Christ is the life and basis of our being together, then our role follows from God’s purposes in Christ Jesus. God has purposed that “the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord.” That is not merely an outward thing, in societies that are just and governments that are honest, but that there is a people from every tribe and nation and tongue that are like Jesus because Christ is life in them, and that. their walk in this world manifests Christ and makes Him visible. That is grace and a privilege and responsibility given to individual believers and the church. If these things are true, then our being together should be for the building up of each one individually and every one together until all reach the fullness of Christ. That building up of each other in love happens in living ways when the Spirit is present and in truth the church is the dwelling place of God. We as church often fail when we make secondary things primary, and often many activities disguise the fact that Christ in a living way is not present in His people. . . when classes are better attended than prayer, something is amiss. Even evangelism, which has its place, is out of place when it is the primary thing. . . in the most living ways evangelism happens in believers who walk faithfully. . . “thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life.” It is awesome and beautiful to be in Christ the people of God in this world.

The role of the church (that’s us, folks…not some building or denomination) is to be Christ’s ambassadors. However, let me quote a man who can say it a lot better than I. In His book, “The Overcoming Life,” Dwight L. Moody (1837-1899) said this, “I read some time ago of a man who took passage in a stagecoach. There were first, second, & third-class passengers. But when he looked into the coach, he saw all the passengers sitting together without distinction. He could not understand it till by & by they came to a hill, & the coach stopped, & the driver called out, ‘First class passengers keep their seats, second-class passengers get out & walk, third-class passengers get behind & push’. Now in the church we have no room for first-class passengers; people who think that salvation means an easy ride all the way to heaven. We have no room for second-class passengers; people who are carried most of the time & who, when they must work out their own salvation, go trudging on giving never a thought to helping their fellows along. All church members ought to be third-class passengers; ready to dismount & push all together, & push with a will. That was John Wesley’s definition of a church, ‘All at it, & always at it’.” As we fulfill The Great Commission, I believe Moody nailed it; this is a wonderful description of the “role of the church.”